The Bible is full of references to orphans, the fatherless, and adoption. God’s heart and passion for them is clear. Here are just a few references:

God Adopts
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ (Romans 8:15)

So that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:5)

He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ. (Eph 1:5)

God Commands
Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. (Deuteronomy 24:17)

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)

God Promises He Knows Them
For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. (Psalm 139:13-15)

He Sees Them
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you: you are the helper of the fatherless. (Psalm 10:14)

The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (Psalm 10:14)

He Has Compassion on Them
A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell. Ps. 68:5-6a.

He Defends Them
Do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. (Psalm 10:18)

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (Psalm 68:5)

He Will Come to Them
I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. (John 14:18)

[HT: Bethlehem Baptist Church]

Today is Orphan Sunday and I can’t tell you how excited I am for all that God is doing around the country in and through the church. It is awesome to watch, and this is just the beginning. I really encourage you to check out the live webcast today from 4-6pm CST. Join Steven Curtis Chapman, Jim Daly, Dennis Rainey and churches and families from around the country in this special event.

Click here for the Live Orphan Sunday Webcast.

I love this insight from Daniel Bennett, pastor of Bethany Community Church in Peoria, IL:

Waking to and acting upon God’s call to care for orphans really serves as a powerful agent of discipleship. As our church grows excited about orphan ministry, I see people understanding the character of God more. I feel that we are coming to grasp the love of God more deeply. I also see it growing our understanding of biblical love—that it involves real sacrifice; it gives like God does to those who have no way to pay you back. The impact spills out beyond the Church. People outside our church that you never would have expected are intrigued, asking questions, because they’re seeing the adoptions and care for the foster kids. It really gives the church a more powerful testimony to the community.

[HT: Orphan Alliance]

Did you know that there are roughly 130,000 children that are waiting for adoption in the United States today? These children have had their parental rights terminated and living in temporary situation (either a temporary foster family or group home). Legally they are wards of the State with no parents but the government. You can adopt these children at no cost! In fact, in most States, you will receive a monthly stipend.

Every child in America (in the world) should have a permanent family. There is no excuse for this! So, what would it take to find each of these kids a family? To start off, I broke down the numbers by Southern Baptist Churches (they were the easiest to find figures for – as I have time I will add up all the other evangelical denominations – my initial count is roughly 170,213). But, just counting Southern Baptist churches the results and ratios are very powerful. There are roughly 40,000 Southern Baptist Churches in the US. If every church committed to 3 children, every child would be cared for. In 11 States all it would take is 1 church committing to 1 child. Again, that is just counting the SBC!

Will you please 1) Look at the numbers below, and 2) pray with me that God would move in an unprecendented way among His church to see that every one of these children (every number is a child!) have a permanent home. And in the case of the children represented below who are 16-17 years old and about to age out of the system, pray that they would have a family who would commit to care for them when they are left on their own in a couple months or a year.

For the full chart with all 50 States click here to download in pdf.

Here are a few of my favorite songs/musicians that have a heart for adoption and orphans. If you know of others that should be included please share. Many of these would be great resources for including in your Orphan Sunday activities this weekend (If you do the DMC song or play it in your church let me know how that goes!)

Steven Curtis Chapman A dad of three adopted girls and three biological children, Steven Curtis Chapman has become a leading advocate for adoption. I’ll put money that most churches doing some music this Sunday for adoption will include a SCC song. One of his most popular is “When Love Takes You In,” exploring the journey from an adoptee’s perspective. I’m very excited about his new album that just released today which is his first since the death of their daughter Maria. Check it out here.

Aaron Ivey – Aaron and his wife are adoptive parents and have been in the process of adopting two children, Amos and Story, from Haiti for the past two years. Story just came home the other week! Amos is still waiting. Aaron travels the country and the world with his band promoting justice issues and the glory of God through worship. He also leads worship at the Austin Stone Community Church.

Sarah Groves – I have loved Sarah Groves music since her first CD came out. For special music in our wedding we had friends sing her song “He’s Always Been Faithful.” Over the last few years Sarah has become more vocal about justice issues and put out this video about a trip to Africa – ‘I Saw What I Saw’

Meredith Andrews – Meredith has had a passion for orphans and adoption since she was young and has a great testimony of how God has used her family. This passion is reflected in her music. Read a great article about her passion for adoption here.

Darryl McDaniels aka DMC (of Run DMC) – It wasn’t until he was 35 that rapper Darryl McDaniels (of Run DMC) learned he’d been adopted. In “Just Like Me,” he transforms Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”—a folksong about a failed relationship between a parent and child—into a message of hope to adoptees everywhere. Fellow adoptee Sarah McLachlan collaborates on this hip remake.

Sons & Daughters by Sovereign Grace Music – These songs are meant to direct our attention to the unfathomable love God has shown us in adopting us through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). We are now part of God’s family—in Christ we will forever be the objects of God’s particular and passionate mercy and love. Great for use in corporate worship.

Though I Was Born an Orphan by Eric Schumacher & David L. Ward – Eric and David wrote this hymn specifically for churches to use in worship. They write, “If God the Father has blessed us with this great and altogether undeserved adoption, we will show like care to “orphans and widows in their affliction.” In application of the Gospel, Christians become people who display the greatness of their Father through their care for those in need.”

What are your plans for Orphan Sunday?
What is your church doing?
If your church is not doing anything what are you planning to do as a family?
One of the things my family will be doing is watching the LIVE Nashville event webcast. Join us and many others here.

I can’t but think there are many folks in the second category…share your thoughts and ideas!

This Sunday is the first official Orphan Sunday. Churches around the country are doing different events and activities raising awareness to the needs of orphans locally and globally. I will try posting resources this week that you can make available for your church.

This video connects the glory of the Gospel (i.e., the treasure that Jesus is) with the current global orphan crisis. The video’s quotations come from Dan Cruver’s article “The Orphan Crisis: Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be”

Download a higher resolution version here.

Sunday, November 1 at 5:00 p.m. CST

Don’t miss this opportunity to talk with Tommy and Aimee Poche about adoption. They’ve not only adopted several of their own kids, but they’ve also helped a lot of other families through the adoption journey through the ministry of His Heart For Orphans – the adoption ministry of Healing Place Church (one of ABBA Fund’s church partners).

Tommy and Aimee will be live on a video feed and they’ll share some of their story. While they’re sharing, guests will be able to participate in a text chat window alongside. Then, we’ll open up for a Q&A time, where the Poches will be answering your questions about adoption.

Dan Cruver posted this great quote this morning. Soak in the truth of it today!

“My relationship to God is not a variable one. The case is not that I am a child of God, and then again not a child of God. That is not the basis of my standing, that is not the position. When God had mercy upon me, He made me His child, and I remain his child. A very sinful, and a very unworthy one, perhaps, but still his child!

And now, when I fall into sin, I have not sinned against the law, I have sinned against love. Like the prodigal, I will go back to my Father and I will tell Him, “Father, I am not worthy to be called your son.” But He will embrace me, and He will say, “Do not talk nonsense, you are My child,” and He will shower his love upon me! That is the meaning of putting on the breastplate of righteousness! Never allow the devil to get you into a state of condemnation. Never allow a particular sin to call into question your standing before God. That question has been settled.” ~Martyn Lloyd-Jones

This weekend anglers will be competing in a Catfish Tournament with proceeds benifitting the Joe Jackson Legacy Child Fund. The Lake Wylie Pilot writes:

Most fishing tournaments are about bringing home the big fish and the big paycheck, and this one is, too. But the inaugural Boat Sales of Lake Wylie Catfish Tournament also is about bringing children to good homes.

“This is the first shot,” said Jeff Jackson, sales manager at Boat Sales of Lake Wylie. “A lot of the guys around the office like fishing, and we thought it’d be something fun to do and also it would be a way to involve the community.”

The event will be held, rain or shine, Nov. 7. Most of the money goes to the top anglers, but a portion will be donated to the Joe Wayne Jackson Legacy Child Fund, began shortly after the death of Jeff Jackson’s father in a plane crash five years ago last weekend. The fund was a passion of Jeff’s mother, and way of keeping his father’s name and memory alive, Jeff said. Run through the North Carolina-based ABBA Fund, Child Legacy Fund donations provide money for families looking to adopt children through “interest-free covenant loans to Christian couples who are called by God to expand their families through adoption.”

“The cost of adoption is the number one concern for families considering it,” said Jason Kovacs, director of ministry development with ABBA. “It’s a huge commitment.”

Read the whole article here.

For more information on LegacyChild and how you can establish a fund in memory of or in honor of a loved one visit our website here.